Dental chair



G. D. HECK DENTAL CHAIR Filed March 27, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 21926.

G. D. HECK DENTAL CHAIR Filed March 2'7, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 PatentedNov. 2, 1926.

UNITED STATES GEORGE D. I-IEGK, OF PRINCE BAY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORMANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION TO THE S. S. WHITE DENTAL OFPENNSYLVANIA.

DENTAL CHAIR.

Application filed March 27, 1923. Serial No. 627,966.

My invention relates particularly to footrests for dental chairs, and isespecially directed to that class of foot-rests in which the foot-restframe is carried by the chair frame, and has a toeboard frame hingedlymounted on said foot-rest frame, and arranged to be swung thereon towardand from the chair seat.

The principal objects of my invention are to provide a, dental chairwith a foot-rest having a toe-board so hingedly connected therewith asto be swung thereon toward and from the chair seat with minimum efforton the part of the operator and without in convenience to the patient inthe chair.

Other objects of my invention are to provide a dental chair with thefoot-rest having a toe-board arranged to be automatically retained in aplane with the foot-board, or in inclined relation therewith, and to beadjusted to either position by a mere lifting movement of the toe of theoperator.

Further objects of my invention are to provide a foot-rest soconstructed and arranged that the foot-board and toe-board maybesecurely engaged with their respective frames, yet bereadily removedand replaced.

Specifically stated, the form of my invention, as hereinafter described,comprehends a foot-rest frame carrying a footboard, and a toe-boardframe pivoted thereto and carrying a toe-board, a notched lever actuatedby gravity and tending to automatically retain said toe-board frame inits respective positions, and arranged to be raised by the toe of theoperator to release said toe-board frame when inclined, and toautomatically release said toe-board frame when said toe-board frame israised from its horizontal position,by the toe of the operator. Thefoot-board and toe-board, which may be cut pieces of linoleum or similarsheet material, rest on their respective frames upon plates from whichthe perimetric margins have been removed and formed into retaining rimsarranged to overlie and engage the margins of said boards and to rigidlysecure them to their respective frames.

- My invention also includes all of the variousnovel features ofconstruction and arrangement as hereinafter more definitely specified.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of a foot-restconstructed in accordance with my invention, showing portions of thefoot-board and toe-board broken away for convenience of'illustration;Fig. 2 is a side elevational View ofthe foot-rest shown in Fig. 1,portions being broken away for convenience of illustration; Fig. 3 is avertical, longitudinal, sectional view of the foot-rest shown in Figs. 1and 2, with the toe-board frame raised to its inclined position, and itsretaining lever shown in elevation; Fig. 4 is a transverse verticalsectional view taken on the linet d in Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is afragmentary, transverse, vertical sectional view taken on the line 5-5in Fig. 1.

In said figures, the foot-rest, which may be conveniently supported in awellknown manner by the chair frame, of which the depending brackets 1and 2 are shown, comprises the foot-board frame 3 and toe-board frame 4hingedly connected for relative adjustment. The foot-board frame maypreferably be formed of the longitudinally ribbed side rails 5 and 6 andthe transverse connecting rails 7 and 8 all of which may be channeled toprovide lightness to the structure, which is stiffened by thelongitudinally disposed brace beam 9, having the supporting saddle 10.

The forward rail 8 of the foot-board frame 3 is provided with forwardlyextending hinge lugs 11, to which the hinge lugs 12 of the toe-boardframe 4, comprising the side rails 13 and 14; and the transverse rails15 and 16, which may be channeled, are hingedly connected by the shaft17 The foot-board frame 3 is arranged to be rigidly connected in awell-known manner with the chair frame comprising the brackets l and 2,and the toe-board frame is arranged to be held in two positions withrespect to the foot-board frame; one of said positions being disposed ina plane with the foot-board frame, as shown in Fig.2, and the otherposition being relatively inclined thereto, as shown in Fig. 3.

The toe-board frame is arranged'to be supported in its respectivepositions by the lever 19, comprising a rectangular structure having theside-bars 20 and 21 joined by the transversely disposed connecting bars22 and 23. Said lever 19 is conveniently mounted for oscillation uponthe rock shaft 25, which is supported in suitably formed bearings 26 and27 respectively in the brace beam 9, and side rail 6, and which isarranged to be held stationary in its bearings by the set screw 28 inthe bearing 26.

The side bar 21 of'said lever 19 is extend ed forwardly and terminatesina pedal 29' disposed beneath the toe-board frame l, and the side bar 20is provided with the bearing 80 for the hollow shaft 33 which carriesthe links 32 connecting said lever 19 with the shaft Minounted'in theshaft bearing brackets 35', which depend fromthe back rail of thetoe-board f ame a.

The shaft 3 1 maybe conveniently pro vided with the rotatable sleeve orroller ea which is arranged to alternately engage the recesses 38 and 39in the under side of the sidebar of the lever 19, to maintain thetoe-board frame 4 respectively in alinement with the foot-board frame orinclined there to. Said lever-19 carries a spring t0,'which loops intothe recess 38 and closely hugs the under surface of the bearing-SO andupon which the roller36 rides into its loop, so as to prevent undueshock or jar when the toeboard frame is released and permitted to dropto its horizontal. position shown in Fig. 2.

The upper surface ll of the inner wall of the channeled foot-board frameis slightly lower than the upper surface 42 of the outer wall of saidframe, and alfords a support for the foot-board reinforcing plate 43,upon which the foot-board44 rests with its margin overlying the surface42 of said frame, being rigidly engaged therewith by the marginalretaining rim 415. As bestshown in Fig; 3, thereinforcing plate 413, andfootboard 4 1, which may be formed of linoleum or other suitablemateriahare supported centrally by the supporting saddle 10.-

The retaining 1111115 as best shown in Fig; 5 is arranged to overlie'the margin of the foot-board 1 1 and has the web of its'lateral bars 16and 47 extended downwardly and inwardly to embrace the outwardlyprojecting flanges 49 and 50 of the side rails 5 and 6 re spectively ofthe foot-board frame. The lower inwardly directed webs 52 and 53 of thelateral bars 16 and 47 are provided with set screws 55 in threadedengagement'therewith, arranged to bear against the under surface of saidflanges l and 50, totightly engage the retaining rim l5 with' the marginofthefoot-board l and clamp it upon the upper surface 12 of thefoot-board frame 3.

Similar to the foot-board frame,thertoeboard frame is provided with theplate 57 arranged to reinforce the toe-board 59, which may be formed ofsheet material such as linoleum or other suitable composition, illflClWlllCllglS held thereon by the marginal retaining rim 60, the webs ofwhose forward bar 61 andlateral bars 62. and 63 are extended downwardlyand inwardly to em brace the flange 65, projecting outwardly from theforward and lateralb'arsresped tively of the toe-board frame; The lowerinwardly directed web 69 of the retaining rim 6O is-provided with setscrews 70 in threaded engagement therewith and arranged to bear againstthe under surface oi the flange 65 to tightly engage the retaining rimwith the margin of the toe-board 5S), a-ndthereby clamp" it upon theupper marginal surface 72 of said toe-board frame. The rim 60 isextendedrearwardly to pro vide an apron 73 which bridges the gap betweenthe foot-board and toeboard and conveniently covers the hingesh aft 17.

It will be obvious that the toe-board may be readily removed andreplaced'by lmcking the set screws 70, which permits theretain ing rim60 to be easily drawn forwardly from its engagement with the things(if), thereby leaving. the toe-board 59 free lifted from the toe-boardframe l; and similarly, the retaining rim lfi'may be convenientlyremoved lbybaching. the set screws whichepermits saidrim to be readilydrawn forward 7 over. the toe-board 'framewhen extended in alinementwith the foot-hoard frame as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, thus leaving thefoot-board 44 free to be lifted from the foot-board frame 3; thereplacement of said partsbeing obviously effected in the reverse order.

It-may be here noted that the reinforcing plates 43 andf57 may be formedof the inclnded area of the material from which the retaining rims 4:5and 60 are formed.

My invention is. advantageous in that the toe-board frame is raised toits inclined position shownv in Fig.1 3 by an upward movementof the toeofthe operator and may be released and-permittedito drop to itshorizontal positionshown in Figs. 1 and 2 by a similar movement, insubstantially the same position ofvthe toe of the operator, to lift thepedal .29, which effects the release of said toe-board.

Theoperative adjustment of the toe-hoard is effected as follows,-lf itis desired to raise the toe-board from itshorizontal position shown 21;0- itsinclined position shown in Fig.v the operator places his-toeunder the toe-board. frame, 1 preferably to ward its outerifreeend, andliftsitupward to theposition shown-inv 35 Such movement of the toe-boardframelcauses the roller 36 to ride outof the reeess38 and upon thespring. 40 into the recess 39.; in so doing it causes the free end ofthe lever 19 to rise until said roller 36 passes the vertical plane ofthe axis of the shaf't33, whereupon said lever again descends as theroller 36 rides into the recess 39, against the wall of which it bearsto support the toe-board'frame in theinclined position shown. The returnof thettoe-board frame to thehorizontalposition may be similarlyeffected by the op erator placing his toe beneath the pedal 29 of thelever 19, and by lifting .said pedal until the axis of the shaft 33passes the horizontal plane of the axis of the roller 36, when theweight of the toe-board being no longer supported by the wall of therecess 39, will force the roller backward to ride upon the spring intothe recess 38, where in it bears against the wall of said recess tosupport the toe-board frame in its horizontal position shown in Fig. 2.

I do not desire to limit my invention to the precise details ofconstruction and arrangement as herein set forth, as it is ob vious thatvarious modifications may be made therein without departing from theessential features of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A foot-rest comprising a foot-board frame and a toe-board framehingedly con nected with said foot-board frame, a pivoted lever actuatedby gravity, provided with separate recesses and having a linkedconnection with said toe-board frame, and means on said toe-board framearranged to engage said recesses to retain the toe-board in differentpredetermined positions with respect to the foot-board.

2. A foot-rest comprising a foot-board frame and a toe-board framehingedly connected with said foot-board frame, a lever having recessestherein, pivoted to said foot board frame and extended forwardly, linksconnecting said lever with said toe-board frame, means on said toe-boardframe arranged to engage said recesses to support said toe-board framein different predetermined positions with respect to said footboardframe, and yielding means arranged to absorb the shock incident to theirrelative adjustment.

3. A foot-rest comprising a foot-board frame and a toe-board framehingedly connected with said foot-board frame, a-lever pivoted to saidfoot-board frame, provided with recesses and having a pedal extendedbeneath said toe-board frame, and means on said toe-board frame arrangedto engage said recesses to maintain said toe-board frame in differentpositions with respect to said foot-board frame, the upward adjust mentof said toe-board frame and its release being effected by a similarupward movement of the toe of the operator, respectively with saidtoe-board frame and with said lever.

4. A foot-rest comprising a foot-board frameand a toe-board framehingedly connected with said foot-board frame, a lever pivoted to saidfoot-board frame provided with recesses and having a pedal extendedbeneath said toe-board frame, links connecting said lever with saidtoe-board frame, and means on said toe-board frame arranged to engagesaid recesses to maintain said toeboard frame in different predeterminedpositions, the adjustment of said toe-board frame to its inclinedposition and its release therefrom, being effected by a similar upwardmovement of the toe of the operator, respectively with said toe-boardframe and with said lever.

5. A foot-rest comprising a foot-board frame and a toe-board framehingedly connected with said foot-board frame, a lever actuated bygravity, pivoted to said foot board frame, provided with indentationsand having a pedal extended beneath said toeboard frame, linksconnecting said lever with said toe-board frame, means on said toeboardframe arranged to engage said indentations to maintain the toe-boardframe in different predetermined positions, and a spring arranged toabsorb the shock incident to the adjustment of said toe-board frame.with respect to said foot-board frame, the upward adjustment of saidtoe-board frame being effected by an upward movement of the toe of theoperator thereunder and its release being effected by a similar movementof the toe of the. operator against the pedal of said lever.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 9th day of March,A. D. 1923;

GEORGE D. HEOK'.

